Maggots, raccoons without table manners, an unusually filthy week of waste — there are many reasons why a garbage bin might require a deep clean.

With the wide implementation of tipper cart garbage bins in tri-state communities, a market for cleaning services has emerged. Top Gun Can Cleaning and Tri-State Bin Cleaners & Power Washing are two Dubuque County businesses helping prevent unwanted pests and odors in area bins. Both serve customers who live within an hour radius of Dubuque.

Ashton and Bodee Pitts, of Farley, Iowa, founded Top Gun last year. The brothers, who graduated from Western Dubuque High School in 2023 and 2024, respectively, have been entrepreneurs for a while now.

The brothers were in elementary school when they launched Pitts Brothers Lawn Care Inc. After growing that business — which has three employees — the brothers got the idea to start a garbage bin cleaning service.

“We originally saw it on TikTok,” Bodee Pitts said.

To get a good clean, the bins need to be lifted off the ground and machine-washed with water and cleaning products. Both Top Gun and Tri-State, which was founded in 2022, utilize custom-made trailers for this work.

“We try to keep it as eco-friendly as possible,” Bodee Pitts said.

Due to the novelty of both businesses, the trailers can be an unusual sight on neighborhood streets. Large and colorful, the trailers include contact information and other advertising info for their respective businesses and are equipped with bin-lifting mechanisms and cleaning nozzles.

“People’s heads turn because they’re not familiar with this industry,” Bodee Pitts said.

In Dubuque, the city provides maintenance for the bins — such as fixing broken wheels — but does not handle cleaning them, according to Jake Jansen, resource management supervisor for the city. Jansen said the city provides residents with information about keeping bins clean and might suggest contacting one of the companies, but it does not issue specific company recommendations.

“A cleaned cart is preferred for odor reduction and functionality and can improve the experience for our sanitation drivers, especially when the collection is performed manually,” Jansen said in an email to the Telegraph Herald.

While the Pitts brothers serve exclusively residential bins, Tri-State’s clientele consists of businesses, as well.

Some businesses, especially restaurants, provide particularly challenging duties.

“A customer uses some sort of sauce that makes our trailer smell for a whole week,” said Lucas Garrigus, co-owner of Tri-State, which is based in Dubuque.

Tri-State charges businesses $100 per month for four monthly cleanings. Otherwise, the two companies offer one-time residential cleanings and various packages, including monthly and seasonal deals.

Both businesses rely on additional services they provide to account for a bulk of their income. The Pitts brothers say their lawn-care business is still more profitable than Top Gun.

Tri-State offers several services, such as power washing, gutter and roof cleaning and snow removal. Garrigus said power washing is his most profitable service currently.

“We try to bundle (bin cleaning appointments) into one or two weeks a month so we have time for power washing,” he said.

However, both businesses hope to grow.

“We’d like to branch out to maybe another location and maybe more employees,” Bodee Pitts said. “Ideally, two or three employees and trucks.”

Garrigus is hoping to expand his trailer setup and also hire more employees. Currently, it is just him and business partner, Jeff Gedmin. He also is planning to venture into lawn care.

Area residents might have seen signs for both businesses, which sporadically dot lawns in Dubuque and beyond.

Aside from yard signs, Tri-State’s marketing efforts can be seen on Facebook or heard on radio. The business also sponsored a hole at a charity golf event in September.

Top Gun’s advertising is primarily on Facebook, but the brothers share their name at community events.

“We like to hit up parades,” Bodee Pitts said.

Despite some differences in services, pricing and goals, both Top Gun and Tri-State share a major trait to which each business attributes its success: A collaborative duo with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Gedmin and Garrigus are not just business partners, but close friends.

“We’ve been good friends for a long time,” Garrigus said.

Garrigus convinced Gedmin to move back to Dubuque from Arizona in order to start the business together.

The Pitts brothers also work well together.

“We do pretty much everything together,” Bodee Pitts said. “(Ashton) views the business the same way as I do.”

The young brothers anticipate a successful, independent career as a result of their business.

“The plan is to be self-employed,” Bodee Pitts said.